Surfing the NSW South Coast
Stretching from Wollongong (an hour’s drive south of Sydney) to Eden, a further 396km south near the Victoria/NSW border, the south coast surfing experience is characterized most of all by the natural environment. Population centres are small, bushland, birds and wildlife abound and deserted beaches are easy to come by. A lively arts and music scene has evolved around the south coast communities that’s entirely separate from Sydney’s, and it’s not unusual for surf instructors to incorporate a little yoga and meditation with a surfing lesson.
Wollongong & Shellharbour In the Wollongong area, east-facing Thirroul picks up swell from most any direction, and there’s a life-guarded saltwater pool for supervised swimming. Free gas barbeques, picnic shelters and a large grassed area behind the beach make it especially family-friendly. North Wollongong is another family favourite with rock pools, shaded grass, picnic booths and kids’ playground. The city offers a range of accommodation, surf shops, bars, cafes, restaurants, sports and live music venues all within easy reach. Then from Shellharbour on down to Kiama and Gerringong, populations steadily dwindle and the more remote south coast surf beaches start to reveal themselves as the Wollongong cityscape fades from view. At Killalea by Shellharbour, breathtaking surf breaks named “The Farm” & “Mystics” are spoken of in hushed tones, though they’re no longer a secret since being declared one of Australia’s National Surfing Reserves in 2009.
Jervis Bay There are uncrowded surf breaks on the ocean sides of the almost enclosed bay, but the big draw here is the exceptionally clear waters within the bay and the beaches of Booderee National Park, which accounts for the entire southern hook of the bay and inland to the town of Sussex Inlet, an area of 6,310 hectares. Booderee is an Aboriginal word meaning “bay of plenty” or “plenty of fish”. The land here belongs to the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community and has been a significant place for Koori people for thousands of years. The clarity of the water and the diversity of marine life – including endangered Grey Nurse sharks – has made Jervis Bay Australia’s second most popular dive destination after the Great Barrier Reef (http://divejervisbay.com).
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Bendalong to Ulladulla Just past Jervis Bay, surf action is concentrated at several beaches around Mollymook and Ulladulla. Washerwoman’s Beach by the sleepy hamlet of Bendalong faces northeast towards the south headland of Jervis Bay. Larger swells here produce a lovely long-board wave at Boat Ramp, which is popular with local kids and tourists from nearby Bendalong Tourist Park. A colony of giant stingrays inhabits this bay and they’re a bit of a tourist attraction on their own. The blue ribbon surf spots at Bendalong are Inyadda Beach and Green Island, both magnets for surf-about travellers in NSW.
In a big swell, experienced surfers head to Golf Course Reef or Ulladulla Bommie, surf-able over ten feet if super clean. Mollymook is a residential and commercial hub so it has plenty of restaurants and cafés, and great live music can be found 6km away at the Milton Theatre (www.miltontheatre.com.au). Narrawallee Beach near Mollymook is a long, flat expanse of sand much loved by joggers and beach-combers. Almost the entire two-kilometres of Narrawallee Beach are backed by Narrawallee Creek Nature Reserve, a lush bush setting.
Broulee to Narooma Further south and sheltered from south swells by Broulee Island, Broulee is ideal for long- boarders and beginners with its easy-breaking waves. Broulee itself consists of a few residential streets, a post office, general store and surf shop. Broulee Island Nature Reserve offers peaceful walks and some fine snorkelling. It also has a very gnarly wave on its north perimeter known as “Pink Rocks”, for experienced board-riders only.
Nine kilometres offshore from Narooma (which is 45mins’ drive south of Broulee), Montague Island is the habitat for a multitude of tropical, sub-tropical and cold water marine species. One of the best places to dive in NSW, the ocean around Montague is populated by bull rays, turtles, Port Jackson and Grey Nurse sharks as well as schools of tropical fish, octopus, cuttlefish and nautilus. The island is also home to a colony of Little Penguins and hundreds of playful Australian fur seals which love the company of visiting divers (http://naroomacharters.com.au).
Merimbula & Pambula Nearly all the way down by the Victoria/NSW state border, Merimbula and Pambula beaches have reliable river-mouth breaks and the perfect topography for wind water-sports; every year in November the Merimbula Sailboard Club hosts the Merimbula Classic, which attracts the best windsurfers and kite-boarders from Australia and overseas (www.merimbulasailboardclub.com.au). The topography here means you have perfect kite- surf conditions whatever the onshore wind – with the predominant northeast summer sea- breeze Pambula is the go, but in a southeaster the Bar at Merimbula is ideal.
Seven-day wind, wave, tide and weather forecast for the South Coast (updated every 6 hours), see www.seabreeze.com.au/graphs/nsw5.asp
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Accommodation Jervis Bay Guesthouse www.jervisbayguesthouse.com.au Hyams Beach Seaside Cottages www.hyamsbeachseasidecottages.com.au The Bower (Broulee) www.thebower.com.au
Dining Beachhouse Seafood Restaurant, North Wollongong www.beachouseseafood.com.au Diggies (behind Wollongong Surf Club) www.diggies.com.au Hyams Beach Cafe & General Store, Jervis Bay www.hyamsbeachcafe.com.au Seagrass Brasserie, Jervis Bay www.seagrass.net.au The Muffin Shop, Mossy Point, Broulee Matilda’s Kiosk (Short Point), Merimbula Bar Beach Kiosk, Merimbula Wharf Restaurant, Merimbula www.merimbulawharf.com.au
Surf culture Bendalong-based former women’s world surfing champion Pam Burridge (1990) and husband Mark Rabbidge are true south coast surfing royalty; Mark oversees board design at Rabbidge Surf Design Factory Outlet, just south of Ulladulla. www.markrabbidge.com
Accredited surf schools Pines Surfing Academy (Wollongong & Shellharbour) www.pinessurfingacademy.com.au Surf the Bay (Broulee to Narooma) http://surfthebay.com.au Jervis Bay Surf School www.jbsurfschool.com.au Mollymook Beach Surf School http://mollymookbeachsurfschool.com Broulee Surf School www.brouleesurfschool.com.au Ulladulla Surf School (Mollymook & Narrawallee) www.ulladullasurfschool.com.au Pam Burridge Surf Schools (Bendalong, Mollymook & Narrawallee) www.pamburridge.com
Note: These surf schools are great media contacts – all run by people who are passionate about their local beach (some run by retired pro tour surfers) and happy to help journalists & visitors get acquainted with the waves and local surf culture.
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For more information go to www.sydney.com For images go to www.images.tourism.nsw.gov.au For media information on Sydney and NSW go to www.destinationnsw.com.au
Media Contacts: Diane Glasson Manager Destination Publicity and Promotion Tel: +61 2 9931 1475 Email: [email protected]
Elissa Tyrrell Destination Publicity Specialist Tel + 61 2 9931 1426 Email: [email protected]
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